Fender pile



y 1947- R. G. PETERSON 2,420,677

FENDER P ILES Filed April 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I EALJ JE-J ED PETERSEN ATTORNEY.-

Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT ICE FENDER PlIJE Ralph G. Peterson, LonglBeach flalif.

Application April 7, 1945,.Serial N 0.581193 (01.61-48) (Granted --under:.th.e act of March 3, 1883, -as

3 Claims.

Thisinventionrelates to fenderpiles and 'more particularly to those adapted for withstanding stresses to protect piers, docks wharvesand the like from the impact of sliipsthereagainst during surges of waters in which the ships are riding.

At large docks, the cost of installingand maintaining .fender piles is very: great and when the piles are broken, it not only necessitateslarge ex penditures for the repair and replacement, but

also causes loss in-docking space for'ships.

The principal objects of the present invention are therefore, toprotect the fender'piles and avoid such repair and replacement'costs as well :as space loss; to prov-idefor allowing deflection short of breakage points of the fender piles under-impact; to arrange for deflection of the "fender piles without unnecessary internal strains;

to provideiagainstundue wear'o-f the fender piles and protecting the surfaces thereof; and to provide improved-elements an'darrangements thereof vcooperating with the fender piles and piers as- 1 horizontal sectionillustrating :my invention, substantially on the line .2-.2,. Fig. 1.

Referring more indetail to the drawings:

l designatesa.pierofsuitable structure and composition that is supported by pile caps 2 and 3 which in turn, are mounted on pier supporting beams or piles 4 and 5 driven into the seabed 3 below the water line 1. v

The pier supporting beams are preferably connected by cross beams 8 to strengthen the pier.

A top waler 9 is mounted on the pier I on the outer face thereof to form a support for the upper ends of fender piles ID. The fender piles l0 have a batter, as it. is termed by the trade, of preferably about one inch per foot and arethus arranged to extend downwardly into the water 1 into the sea bottom or bed at an angle, as illustrated inFig. 1. A conventional camel II is placed in the water in outwardly arranged relation to the piles Ill and is secured in this position by chains l2 passing through portions of the camel to allow the camel to rise and fall with the tide. The chains [2 are suitably secured to the pier, as indicated at 13, and may be provided amended April 30, 1928; 370 ONG. 757) with :a weight M at their lower-endsto hold-the camel againstthefender-piles.

In order to protect the. outer surfaces of' the fender piles aagainst undue wear and chafing,

wear strips. l5 are provided that maybe-secured to thefenderpile by lag'screws l-fi. 'Asships bear against: the fender piles, .it has heretofore been found/chat as thewear plates flex, the 1ag=screws fpop out of the: fender piles an'd'the wear plates :are thus lost. I have found that by scoring'ithe wear plates transversely, as indicated lat 'll, Fig. 1, the plates are allowed to fiex and dish-without causing'loss of the'lag screws and wear-plates.

I 8 designates a waler arranged transversely of the fender piles l0 and secured theretosubstantially below the upper ends of the fender piles by anglebrackets I3. Thailanges 'lll of the-angle moment of resistance of the piling "as would other-wise bethe case. 'lhe fiangesfl of the angle brackets 19 may-be secured to the' walers 'I8"by "bolts-"23, whichalso secure flanges .24 of pivot ""bracketsz'li to the "face? 6 of the waler IB.

A shaft =21 which may be-a pipe,-or the like, is pivoted -at oneen'd to the pivot brackets 25, as indicated-at 28; the -other end of the'shaft '21 passing through an opening ina bearing plate '29 that'is mounted *on'spaced walers 30 and3l.

The walers '3!) and 3l are mounted on the pier supporting beams5,-asby thebolts 32-and 33 which are backed up by beamsM-and 35. The walers 30 and 3| may also be secured to each other and reinforced by bolt 33.

In order to provide for compressibility and flexibility of the fender piles short of their breaking points, springs 31 and 38 are mounted on a shaft 21. One end of the spring 38 bears against a bearing plate 39 that is mounted on the shaft 21 and the other end of the spring 38 bears against a bearing plate 40 secured to a spacing block 4| also mounted on the shaft 21. A bearing plate 42 on the shaft 21 and spacing block 4| forms a seat against which one end of the spring 31 bears, the other end of the spring 31 bearing against the bearing plate 29 on the walers 30 and 3|.

It will be noted that the space between the walers 30 and 3| forms a recess 43 into which the shaft 21 may extend as the springs are compressed responsive to the deflection of the fender piles 10.

It is preferable to stress the spring 31 and 38 during the assembly of the springs between the beams 5 and fender piles I0. This may be accomplished by arranging the springs on the shaft, and applying a jack or the like, to move the fender piles l away from the beams and provide space to arrange the springs between the fender piles l0 and beams 5 in unstressed condition. Then when the jack is removed the fenders spring back to normal position and stress the springs.

It is believed the operation of devices embodying the present invention is apparent to those skilled in the art, inasmuch as ships bearing against the fender pile I0, due to surges of the seas in which they ride, cause inward deflection of the fender piles against tension of-the springs. The springs resist deflection of the fender piles and prevent their breakin under impact, which normally would shatter the fender piles and damage the pier.

It is apparent, therefore, that I have provided an improved arrangement for fender piles which protects the same and the piers to which they are related and which overcomes disadvantages of conventional fender piles in an expeditious and relatively inexpensive manner.

This invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. In combination with a pier having an under structure, fender piles connected to the pier at their upper ends and embedded in the earth below a water line at their lower ends, means for reducing stresses on the fender piles comprising a transversely scored wear plate on the outer faces of the fender piles, angle brackets, means extending through the neutral axes of the fender piles connecting one of the flanges of the angle brackets thereto, a waler arranged transversely of the fender piles having the other flanges oi the angle brackets secured thereto, at least one pivot bracket on the side of the waler opposite the angle brackets, a shaft having one end pivoted to said pivot bracket, spaced bearing plates on the shaft, a spacing block on the shaft between the bearing plates, pre-stressed springs on the shaft having ends bearing against the bearing plates and spacing block respectively, and walers mounted on the pier understructure in substantially parallel relation to the first named waler, said walers having one of said bearing plates mounted thereon and being spaced to provide a recess into which said shaftv may extend against pressure of said springs responsive to stresses applied to said fender piles in the direction of the pier understructure.

2. In combination with a pier having an understructure, fender piles connected to the pier at their upper ends and embedded in the earth below a water line at their lower ends, means for reducing stresses on the fender piles comprising angle brackets, means connecting one of the flanges of the angle brackets to the fender piles, a waler arranged transversely of the fender piles having the other flanges of the angle brackets secured thereto, at least one pivot bracket on the side of the waler opposite the angle brackets, a shaft having one end pivoted to said pivot bracket, spaced bearing plates on the shaft, a spacing block on the shaft between the bearing plates, pre-stressed springs on the shaft having ends bearing against the bearing plates and spacing block respectively, and walers mounted on the pier understructure in substantially parallel relation to the first named waler, said walers having one of said bearing plates mounted thereon and being spaced to provide a recess into which said shaft may extend against pressure of said springs responsive to stresses applied to said fender piles in the direction of the pier understructure.

3. In combination with a pier having an understructure, fender piles connected to the pier at their upper ends and embedded in the earth below a water line at their lower ends, means for reducing stresses on the fender piles comprising a compressible element arranged between the fender piles and pier understructure substantially below the pile connected ends of the fender piles, and means for additionally protecting the fender piles comprising a wear plate having fastening devices securing the same to the fender piles, said wear plate having transverse score lines to allow flexing of the plate without forcing the fastening devices out of the fender piles.

RALPH G. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,414,620 Brownlee May 2, 1922 1,013,584 Brunnier Jan. 2, 1912 646,553 Holmes Apr. 3, 1900 772,100 Holmes Oct. 11, 1904 46,146 Seely Jan. 31, 1865 

